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Live Music

Weekend!Nightlife

ROCK

Guns N' Roses

The only thing certain about the current inception of Guns N' Roses seems to be uncertainty.

The band supposedly is gearing up for the long-awaited new album, 'Chinese Democracy,' and notoriously mercurial frontman Axl Rose booted one opening act off the current tour. Previous shows have been delayed for hours or postponed.

If it were any other band, that kind of drama might be detrimental, but it (and reports that G N' R still retains its incendiary live energy) seems to only add fire to the legendary flame.

Besides, if you miss the band this time around, it could be decades until you have another opportunity to witness the spectacle that is G N' R.

It's obvious why Jet was handpicked by Oasis to open its last U.S. tour. These Aussie rockers combine swaggering attitude with razor-sharp songwriting to deliver classic, anthemic rock and roll for a new generation.

Jet's debut album, 'Get Born,' proved the group as adept at delivering blistering numbers like 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' as with gentle ballads like 'Look What You've Done.' Its new album, 'Shine On,' is equally diverse and imminently addictive.

With songs this catchy, the Crystal Ballroom's spring-loaded floors are sure to get a workout.

Radio-station holiday shows can be a great opportunity to expose yourself to music you might have missed over the past few months.

Take KINK's lineup this year - with the bluesy sounds of Jonny Lang, this year's artists include the incomparable and velvety-voiced Canadian songstress Feist, up-and-coming alt-country star Mindy Smith and local legends Nu Shooz.

You'll feel good all around by attending this show - in addition to being a full night of top-notch music, the event is a fundraiser for the Oregon Food Bank.

While his work with Wilco extended into the band's more experimental years (from 'Being There' through 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'), 'The Magnificent Defeat' is a more straightforward take on classic American folk-rock that should appeal to fans of Jeff Tweedy's more rough-and-tumble work.

You'll be hearing much more about young Minneapolis singer-songwriter Haley Bonar. Her new album, the lovely 'Lure the Fox,' recently won the Minnesota Music Award for Best American Roots Recording.

Pure and mournful; musically simple but emotionally complex, it's reminiscent of Elliott Smith - an influence Bonar, who was raised in South Dakota, describes as 'the quietest storm on acoustic guitar I had heard.'

Fans include Low's Alan Sparhawk, who released Bonar's previous outing on his own label, and Andrew Bird, on whose upcoming album Bonar appears.

Catch her at an intimate venue like the Towne Lounge while you still can.